ethereal | tom riddle.

insect

"Tom? Are you in there?" Eliza asked as she knocked on his door rapidly.

"What do you want, Eliza?" He replied, sighing as he opened the door.

"There's a strange insect in my room. It's absolutely disgusting." Eliza scrunched her nose up in disgust.

"Okay, and?" Tom replied, seeming unbothered by her dilemma.

"Can you remove it?"

"I can." Tom replied, leaning against the frame of the door.

"Well, will you?" Eliza had begun to get a little irritated.

"Yes. I will." Tom said finally, closing his door behind him. She smiled up at him and walked to her room with a little bounce in her step.

She led him into her dorm in which she stayed alone and then pointed to the big black bug with wings on the dresser. Tom gave her a look as though wondering why she couldn't just do it herself.

He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and silently sent a green light shoot at the bug with utter precision. The bug's wings flopped over and it died.

"The killing curse?" Eliza whisper-screamed. "I wanted you to get rid of it. Not just avada it. Now there's a dead insect in my room."

"Will you calm down? I was getting to that part." He simply rolled his eyes at her and wordlessly used his wand to open the window and lift the insect and throw it out. "Are you happy now?"

"Yes Tom, thank you very much."

"Will you go back to sleep now?"

"Can I sleep in your room till the house elves clean my tomorrow? It feels icky."

"And where will I sleep?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow as they walked out her room and went back to his.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous." She laughed and hit his arm lightly, pulling her robe around herself a little tighter.

Eliza made her hair in his mirror as he read a book in the background. She had learned the hard way to not to interrupt him when he was reading. During their first year of knowing each other, she had asked him what the book was about and he simply glared at her, picked his book up and left without another word.

She had grown familiar to his unaffectionate nature and rather nonexistent way of being appreciative. Everyone found it very strange that he kept her in his company for so many years.

And they were even more confused when they saw how the two would talk or interact. It seemed to anyone on the outside that they did not say much to each other unless they needed anything. She was simply by his side all the time.

"Tom?" Eliza said, pulling off her robe to reveal her silky nightgown as she got onto his bed.

"Yes, Eliza?" He turned to look at her, setting his book to the side. He wasn't particularly interested in the fact that she was in a laced night gown that barely reached her knees. He had seen her in lesser.

She was a pretty girl, with her cascading dark hair and watercolour emerald green eyes. Tom had heard the way other boys would speak about her. He, however, did not ever entertain those conversations.

"Good night." She pulled the covers over herself, not expecting a reply.

She was right not to expect a reply, and she didn't get one. He simply returned to reading his book and slept a while after her.

Early the next morning, Tom had already been ready for class by the time Eliza stirred from her sleep. Against her wishes, she got up from his bed and went back to her own.

She spent little time getting ready, taking a shower and putting on her uniform. She loved the way her uniform looked with it's checkered green skirt and the black boots she paired with it.

She didn't bother taking her blazer since it was quite a hot day anyway. She tied the front strands of her hair back with a green ribbon and then took her books for the day to the common room.

"Good morning Tom." She smiled as he got up from one of the couches in the common room. "Hello Braxy." Abraxas stood as well, giving Eliza a little kiss on her cheek as he wished her good morning.

Tom simply rolled his eyes at their usual routine. The three of them walked into Great Hall and sat down with Tom's 'friends' at their section of the table. They always left space for Abraxas, Tom and Eliza in between all of them.

Tom sat on Eliza's right and Abraxas on her left. Rosier, Avery, Lestrange, Black, Nott, and occasionally Zabini, sat around them. Serving themselves food, everyone made conversation with one another- talking about something they saw in the news or quidditch or even gossip.

Tom was disinterested in all of those but he still would made comments in whatever conversation he chose to be a part of. Eliza and Abraxas were talking to Theodore Nott and Orion Black across the table about a Pucey knocking up a Gryfinndor girl.

"And I heard that Pucey is engaged to that Parkinson girl." Theodore added, as they all leaned in.

"No way. He would never. She is so utterly unbearable." Eliza said, glaring at Poppy Parkinson towards the other end of the table.

"I don't understand why you despise her so much." Orion questioned.

"That girl is unbearable." Tom answered, as they all turned to him.

"She is so utterly frustrating." Eliza nodded as she took a bite of the fruit on Tom's plate. Theodore and Orion exchanged a glance as she did that, waiting for Tom to tell her not to do that.

However, no such comment came from Tom and Abraxas continued. "But Pucey got another girl pregnant. No way any other proper family would want to marry their daughters into that. The Parkinsons are probably paying them a lofty price to take that girl."

Everyone agreed with that as they continued their conversation, switching topics one after the other.

They parted ways in groups according to what class they had first period. Tom waited for Eliza to finish eating breakfast, and then they both left for Advanced Potions together.

*
a/n: aaannd that's the first chapter. i hope some of you find this interesting enough to keep reading 💗💗